Pets can make a mess of the house when they push or tip over their water bowl (dish) or food bowl. With water spilled from the bowl, there is a risk of slipping to the pet owner or his or her guests, and there is a risk of damage to the flooring (especially in the case of wood flooring). Previously, there have been a variety of ways to address this problem. For example, the dish may be weighted making it harder for the animal to push or tip the dish. This approach has the problem that the dish might be uncomfortably heavy for the pet owner to bend down and pick up the dish, and may also present an injury problem or floor damage problem if the dish is dropped by the pet owner. In addition, for some larger and/or more powerful dogs, the weight used in the bowl is not sufficient to prevent moving and tipping. As another example, the dish may include a sticky surface or other treatment on the bottom. This approach relies on a frictional engagement with the floor which may cause some damage to the floor and/or may make the bowl difficult for the pet owner to retrieve from the floor when he or she wants to fill the bowl.
There is a need for different and superior approaches to preventing spillage from a pet's dish.